


The Kitty and the Bitlet

by CyberneticFire



Series: And What We Used to Be [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: (implied) - Freeform, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Child Soundwave, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Panic Attacks, Soundwave Stutters, Soundwave Whump, Soundwave is a Telepath, Soundwave's Sire is a Glitch, at least the comfort is nice?, highgrade, it's a lot of hurt before the comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25178725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyberneticFire/pseuds/CyberneticFire
Summary: Soundwave is spending the day with his sire again unfortunately...Not so pleasant for the youngling considering their less than optimal relationship. But it's nothing a surprise from his Carrier can't fix!
Series: And What We Used to Be [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824067
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	The Kitty and the Bitlet

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the first work in a series that I'm editing for my interpretation of Soundwave's background! Any questions about the terms I use will be answered if needed. Please be mindful of the darker tones that most of these will have and that this is purely based on my own headcanons! Enjoy! ^^ Angst abound...

A low buzzing noise sounded beside the chair as tiny purple digits grabbed at the silver servo draped over the side. They brushed against it once. A klik passed; nothing happened... Soundwave let out a distressed warble as he swiped at the dangling appendage again, with more force. The servo jerked away this time. 

"Soundwave!" A gruff voice growled, the mech’s gray faceplate coming into view over the arm of the chair a moment later. The servo that had previously retreated was pressed almost defensively against his blue chassis. "What have I told you about disturbing me? I was recharging you little scraplet..." The mech - Soundwave's sire - shifted to glare down at him, expression twisting into a scowl. "Well? I asked you a question." 

Soundwave hid servos behind his back, slim digits curling anxiously. Lowering his helm to hide his visor, he was hesitant to speak up, "...'m not suppo-osed to bother y-you... unless it's impo-or... importa-ant...?" This may not have been the best idea... 

"Right. Well?" His sire quirked a brow in irritation. "What do you want? And get that stutter under control... You know it’s fraggin’ annoying." 

Well. That wasn't exactly fair. 

Soundwave just let out another huff as he tilted his helm back up to peer at his sire. Speaking without stuttering wasn’t going to happen, so he wrapped his arms around his stomach and let a pixelated picture of an energon cube blink across his visor. _That_ should get the point across. His digits dug lightly into his sides and he couldn't repress a buzzing whine at how _hungry_ he was. The dread for this conversation had been building ever since the ache in his tanks had become near unbearable - unbearable for a child at least. 

Frown deepening, the mech's expression quickly became unreadable. Soundwave flinched back as the negative thoughts washed over him and he quickly came to regret speaking up at all. Telepathy certainly had its downsides… 

"You're _hungry_?" The large mech scoffed lightly as if the thought was too ridiculous to even _consider_. Which was silly – _everyone_ needed to refuel, why would he be joking? Soundwave's spark all but stuttered when he caught the tail end of a few sharp thoughts, and the anger clashing with his own field was settling thickly in the air. 

The youngling nodded once, hesitant and wanting to do little more than be swallowed entirely by the floor. His sire was staring at him like one might look at a particularly annoying minicon. The desire to flatten his little bit of pointed armor and wrap his arms tighter around himself was strong, and after what felt like a mega-cycle of staring, the larger mech finally stood, dwarfing Soundwave in comparison. 

It was a battle of wills to stay rooted to the spot to better avoid drawing his sire's ire. Instead of moving, he stared meekly up, trembling, and consumed entirely by the dark mech's shadow. Early in his function, Soundwave might have described the color of his sire’s armor as the glowing blue of an energon lake - bright and exciting in its sharp contrast to the silver highlights... Back when he was still naively unaware that his digitigrade legs or visor or data cables were _not_ in fact normal or common in a cybertronian. 

Now the color was more akin to the dark that lingered after a particularly bad recharge. 

"Okay," the mutter snapped Soundwave's attention back to the present. The disarming way with which he spoke would have been soothing had the youngling not known better. He scrambled back as the large mech stepped past him and towards the kitchen without so much as a snide remark. 

A surprised chirp escaped before Soundwave could suppress it as he moved to follow. Maybe his sire would listen to him for once? The larger mech had already moved out of his range so he couldn't be sure…Though his sire's thoughts before that had been decidedly unhelpful as usual. 

Well, there wasn't much he could _do_. Soundwave was nervous having the other out of his range but the idea of getting any closer than needed was even worse. He was smart enough to realize that reacquiring the small comfort would be unlikely... 

"Here," his sire grumbled, tossing an energon cube to the floor. It dropped with a jarring _clang_ that jolted Soundwave out of his thoughts and made him pull away from the object nearly half his size. Soundwave tilted his helm, shuffling a bit, before looking to his sire hoping for some sort of explanation. 

...As usual, no help was to be found there as the mech took a long, slow sip from a similar pink cube, expression far too smug for Soundwave’s liking. The implications managed to settle in as his tanks rumbled with a vengeance. 

Firstly, this wasn't the energon his carrier usually got for him. The sickeningly sweet pink glow gave him the feeling it wouldn't smell very nice if he tried to open it... It looked like the type of energon that his sire indulged in _far_ too much. Second, he couldn't drink this in a normal manner with his visor; his sire _knew_ that! Soundwave would just make a mess because _unfortunately_ he wasn’t quite so coordinated with his cables yet... Which brings him back to the fact that his carrier always helped him with the energon... and she wasn't exactly present at the moment. Soundwave wouldn't even _entertain_ the notion of asking his sire for help with something as mundane as that. He would say no anyways. 

At the amused look he was receiving, the youngling just choked back another whine. It was hard to understand why his sire was so _mean!_ Or, he _could_ understand in a way... hearing the mech’s thoughts gave some insight, after all – but his carrier adored his differences; so why couldn't his sire do the same? 

Soundwave forced his attention back to the cube in front of him. He was expected to do something; that much was obvious. With that thought in mind, his tiny digits prodded at the top of the container, searching for a way to pop it open. In the back of his processor Soundwave knew trying to please his sire was pointless – _especially_ when he was like this. Still, he would make the effort like always... 

"Well?" The aforementioned mech jeered with that _awfully_ pleased smirk still in place, "You said you were hungry. You're old enough to refuel yourself. Or you _should_ be, anyways. So, what's the problem?" His tone was dancing carelessly on the border between sharp and sarcastic as he brought the cube to his mouth again for another drink, as though proving a point. His optics never left Soundwave. 

The youngling in question let out a wavering noise, shrinking a little under the scrutiny. His sire was being exceedingly complicated this solar-cycle. He didn’t like Soundwave talking, he didn’t like him using his visor, and he was waiting for some sort of reaction even though they both knew the youngling couldn’t do anything comfortably now. There was no winning and it frustrated Soundwave to no end... 

And just as he’d thought, the moment the top of the cube was opened in the slightest, his tanks were twisting at the smell of the unfamiliar fuel – highgrade, maybe? - and Soundwave recoiled. He shoved the cube away, wrapping his arms around his chassis again in an attempt to soothe the nausea welling up before speaking. 

“C-Can’t...” Soundwave whimpered up at his sire, scanning his expression for a reaction. The nausea gripping his insides only increased as his sire drained the last of the pink liquid, his biolights dulling with the highgrade. 

“Why not?” the large mech feigned confusion, tossing the empty cube into the disposal bin. “I want to hear you say it. You’re finally getting permission to speak so I’d say use it...” Soundwave took in a sharp intake as he shuffled his pedes nervously. He had an idea of what his sire wanted him to say but decided he didn’t deserve that satisfaction... 

“...’m _uni-ique_. C-Carrier says s-so...” The youngling spoke truthfully...But his sire’s darkening expression assured that he’d said the wrong thing. Not what the mech had wanted to hear. 

“You’re a _freak_. I don’t care what she says to convince you otherwise, you _know_ you’re different!” His sire spat the words, mood changing for the worst. The youngling had heard this plenty of times, but he still couldn’t suppress a shudder at the bitterness in the tone. Negative thoughts directed at him mingled with the emotions in his sire’s field, earning a flinch though the mech hadn’t even raised a servo. Soundwave kept his gaze glued stubbornly to the floor even as his sire stepped forward, pedes entering his line of sight. 

“Look at me when I’m talking to you…” his voice was a low growl again, the type that rumbled throughout his entire chassis. 

Soundwave didn’t know whether his quiet anger was worse than the yelling. 

So, the youngling did, however tentatively, look up. He managed to meet the mech’s gaze, but couldn’t keep his frame from trembling ever so slightly. Cold, blue optics bore into his visor, adding the appropriate amount of malice to the jumbled thoughts Soundwave was picking up. 

“S-Sorry sire-“ a large pede stomped down, cutting the apology off and sending him stumbling to the floor with a yelp. 

“ _Don’t_ call me that,” was the snarled response as his servo curled into a fist, engine rumbling threateningly, and emotions becoming more volatile with the highgrade in his system. The mech’s processor was harder to read, fuzzy and enveloped in a fog while the muted anger made Soundwave’s helm throb. A distressed buzz escaped the child as he scrambled back, pressing as far back into the wall as he could manage. “Couldn’t have had a _normal_ sparkling, huh? Instead we got _you.”_

Soundwave was undeniably shaking now, hunger temporarily forgotten in the face of the bigger threat – his sire who apparently didn’t want to be _called_ that right now. Intakes came in useless puffs of air that did little to stop the tightness in his chassis. He wanted his carrier. Curling his legs up did _nothing_. There wasn’t anywhere else to _go_ as his sire got closer and closer, and Soundwave could barely intake anymore, his helm was _pounding_ and- 

_Click._ Relief. 

Soundwave was clambering to his pedes before the door had even fully opened. A noise of annoyance escaped his sire behind him, a clatter signaling that he’d picked up the energon cube left on the floor. The mech disappeared back into the kitchen almost immediately after. Soundwave couldn’t find it in himself to care - his carrier had finally come home! 

“I’m home- Oh!” the femme started, only to be interrupted by the youngling barreling into her legs. “Soundwave!” She shifted something in her arms to smile down at her youngling. Seeing the state in which he was clinging to her legs made that smile falter; was he _shaking?_ A glare was shot towards the kitchen where she could still hear her sparkmate rummaging around before she scooped the youngling into her free arm. 

Soundwave shifted to wrap his arms around his carrier’s neck and promptly hid his visor against her pastel pink chassis. The relief was nearly tangible, and he could’ve cried. His intakes did hitch a bit; it didn’t _matter_ , though because she was here now. Every positive feeling and thought the femme put out, he absorbed like a sponge, ignoring everything that wasn’t _her._

“I’m here, bitlet,” she soothed, cradling him close. His sire still hadn’t come out by the time his intakes evened out and calmed, so Soundwave assumed the mech was just hiding away for the time being. His Carrier wasn’t supposed to _know_ about their less than friendly relationship. And she didn’t for the most part... which was good. They needed to keep it that way... 

“Soundwave...” her voice had a softness to it that made it easy for the youngling to relax and peer up at her. “I have something for you.” She was beaming now, trying hard not to think of the surprise and making him giggle at the effort, a stuttering sound that bubbled up from his chassis and only heightened her enthusiasm. 

“Look!” She shifted the item in her arms to face her youngling. It was a…basket? Soundwave let out an inquisitive chirp as he reached over to poke at it. He was effectively distracted from her thoughts by the humming of a _different_ processor in the basket. Two large red orbs blinked open and studied him from their place swaddled in the pile of mesh blankets within. 

Soundwave balked at the sight – The new thing was quiet, and its processor remained calm, tinged with curiosity even as Soundwave brought his visor closer. There was no wariness or distrust to be found. It- _He,_ Soundwave realized, was _curious._

“H-He’s for…for me-e…?” his vocalizer wobbled with emotions he couldn’t even place. They were warm and swirling in the youngling’s chassis, leaving him nearly choked up from the sheer intensity of them. All _good_ emotions. 

“Yes, he can be a new friend for you to play with!” Near bursting with excitement, she walked them to the sofa, settling Soundwave in her lap and the basket neatly in front of him. “Go on, say hello! You can call him whatever you’d like…I’ll help you take care of him, bitlet!” She rubbed a servo over the back of his helm, and he leaned into the touch with a low noise of content, nearly wiggling in shared excitement at this point. From her the elation was infectious! 

After a moment of just listening to his carrier’s buzzing processor and the new, quieter one, Soundwave reached forward, carefully untangling the blankets. A surprised buzz escaped at the small paw that swiped playfully at his intruding digits. The small cybercat let out a chirp, ears perking as Soundwave parroted the sound back. 

“He-ello…” the youngling mumbled, offering the offending servo for the cybercat to inspect. It did, pressing its snout against his digits with a snuff. When a low rumbling began in the small thing’s chassis Soundwave wanted to squeal in delight and point it excitedly out because _he_ just made _it_ happy! He didn’t, instead just letting a delighted little chirp out as he rubbed at its helm. Animals at this age tended to project more emotion than thought and right now it simply felt _warm, happy,_ and _safe_ to the young telepath _._ That made it all the better to dote on the creature! 

“What are you thinking?” his carrier inquired with a touch of anxiety. She was concerned that he wouldn’t like the newest addition to the family…Which was a strange concern considering Soundwave would love anything she got for him! A glance at her furrowed brows confirmed the lingering worry, though, and he jumped to ease her processor. 

“I…” Soundwave paused, looking into the optics of the creature in question. He could _swear_ it was smiling…Mind made up, he looked up at his carrier, voice filled to the brim with joy, as he responded. “I lo- ove him…R-Ravage? His na-ame sh -should be Ravage...I-I think...” The name came easily, popping to the surface of his processor in an instant. And judging by the soft _mrow_ that came from the basket, the kitten approved as well... 

Gentle arms encircled Soundwave in a hug as his carrier smiled her approval at the name, resting her helm on his own to watch the curious kitten staring right back. For this moment Soundwave was flooded with positive emotions from the three of them. Surprisingly he found himself _more_ than willing to share his love with the newly named Ravage... 

There was simply a connection. Soundwave didn't know why; he definitely didn't know how…but he was certain that he and Ravage would get along perfectly. To the best of his ability, he was going to give Ravage the best life possible... This, he was sure of.


End file.
